New Zealand’s new Race Relations Commissioner is spouting the same dangerous rhetoric as the old Race Relations Commissioner. The face may have changed but the anti-free speech sentiment is still there in spades.
To mangle an utterance attributed to Henry II of England, Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest Commissioner?
If you think that I am exaggerating here are Meng Foon’s own words so you can judge him for yourself.
THE NEW RACE RELATIONS COMMISSIONER, MENG FOON, SAYS HIS FIRST MOVES IN THE ROLE WILL BE TO CONTINUE THE DEBATE ON “HATE SPEECH, PHOBIAS, THE ISMS IN OUR COUNTRY”.
Oh no, he’s coming for your isms folks but which isms will he be targeting?
- Tribalism?
- Communism?
- Socialism?
- Fascism?
- Trade unionism?
- Authoritarianism?
- Totalitarianism?
- Communalism?
- Capitalism?
- Absolutism?
- Atheism?
- Egalitarianism?
- Fatalism?
- Idealism?
- Optimism?
- Pessimism?
Oh, I know… he means Sexism and Racism.
“The systemic racism, the structural racism, the unconscious bias … that sort of racism is not tolerated… So it continues every day in life and racism is dangerous. It actually can kill people.”
Racism kills people. Got it. That’s not a gross exaggeration at all. (Rolls eyes).
“I don’t support hate speech that actually causes harm and unsafe communities, violence in the communities, and degradation of dignity. However, the right to actually voice your opinion is still very important, as long as it’s not detrimental to individuals and organisations.
I wonder what he defines as being detrimental to individuals? Hurty feelings? More worrying is that he is giving rights to organisations when rights are for human individuals, not groups or “organisations.” Ideas/ideology do not have rights and organisations do not have rights.
Is he really going to support censoring my opinions of groups and organisations by calling it hate speech? We all know which groups and organisations will be the first to flex their collective muscle in order to shut down our free speech by calling it hate speech don’t we.
[…] On increased nationalism and populism around the world, he said: “I am concerned, there are pockets around the world that actually have those extremist type thoughts.”
Our Race relations Commissioner thinks that if we are patriotic and love our own culture and country then we are having “extremist type thoughts.” Maybe the isms he was referring to aren’t Sexism and Racism after all. Perhaps they are Nationalism and Populism as he seems to think they equal another ism…
Extremism.